Formula Errors

How to Increase or Decrease Prices by a Percentage with an Excel Formula

Nimra Malik Oct 14, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user wants to adjust a list of product prices in an Excel inventory by applying a single percentage increase or decrease.

How to Increase or Decrease Prices by a Percentage Using an Excel Formula

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Updating an inventory price list where all prices need to be marked up or discounted simultaneously by a specific percentage.
Observed behavior: A single formula is needed to calculate the new prices based on a positive or negative percentage input, formatting the results correctly to two decimal places.

Before you start

Ensure your original prices are formatted as numbers or currency, and designate a specific empty cell in your worksheet to hold your percentage adjustment value.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Multiplication Formula with an Absolute Reference

This method allows you to change all prices at once by modifying a single percentage cell, streamlining bulk inventory updates.

By placing your percentage in a standalone cell and using an absolute reference (adding $ signs), Excel locks that cell reference. When you drag the formula down, every product references the exact same percentage.

Set up the percentage cell

Select a cell (e.g., B1) and format it as a Percentage via the Home tab. Enter your adjustment value, such as '15%' for a price increase or '-15%' for a decrease.

Enter the adjustment formula

Click on the cell where you want the new price to appear (e.g., C2). Type the formula =A2*(1+$B$1) assuming your original price is located in cell A2.

Apply to the entire inventory

Press Enter to calculate the first new price. Then, click the bottom-right corner of cell C2 and drag the fill handle down to copy the formula for all products in the list.

Round the results

Select the newly calculated price cells, right-click, choose 'Format Cells', select the 'Number' or 'Currency' category, and set the decimal places to 2.

Use a Multiplication Formula with an Absolute Reference

Understanding Absolute References: The dollar signs in $B$1 lock the reference to the percentage cell so it doesn't shift downwards when you copy the formula to other rows.

WPS Spreadsheet Solutions

Easily Adjust Inventory Prices with WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Spreadsheet provides a seamless and user-friendly environment for managing inventory data. You can quickly apply percentage formulas, lock cell references, and format currencies perfectly.

1. Open your spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your inventory document.
2. Format the percentage: Type your percentage change in a dedicated cell (like B1) and use the ribbon to format it as a Percentage.
3. Input the formula: Type =A2*(1+$B$1) next to your first original price and press Enter.
4. Drag to fill: Double-click or drag the fill handle in the bottom-right corner to instantly update the rest of your inventory prices.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats, ensuring your formulas work perfectly.Easily apply bulk percentage increases or decreases to massive price lists without lag.Free, lightweight, and fast spreadsheet processing with a familiar user interface.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I automatically round the adjusted prices within the formula?

You can wrap your calculation in the ROUND function. For example, use =ROUND(A2*(1+$B$1), 2) to calculate the price and automatically round the result to two decimal places in one step.

Why am I getting a #VALUE! error when applying the percentage formula?

This error typically occurs if the original price cell or the percentage cell contains text instead of numerical values. Ensure there are no hidden spaces, currency symbols entered as text, or letter characters in your data cells.

Can I apply different percentage changes to different product categories?

Yes. Instead of using a single locked cell (like $B$1), you can create a dedicated 'Markup' column next to each product. If your variable percentages are in column B and prices in column A, you would use =A2*(1+B2) and copy it down without using dollar signs.

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